AL HAMRA, OMAN // In the shadow of Jabal Shams, the country’s tallest mountain, more than 300 farms, separated by corroding wire fences, grow enough food to feed two dozen villages. Yet, more than half the yield of crops such as potatoes, limes and dates fail to make it on to supermarket shelves. Transportation is […]
Tesco bags stores in Czech Republic
24/12/2010 by
Tesco has bought 128 convenience stores in the Czech Republic for £34.3m, in a further demonstration of the international ambitions of Britain’s biggest grocer. The supermarket has acquired 47 Koruna shops and 81 Zabka franchised kiosks from the private equity firm Penta Investments, although the deal is subject to regulatory approval.
SWITZ: Migros to make permanent price cuts
24/12/2010 by
The extreme winter weather wreaking havoc with Europe’s airports could cost Thailand one billion baht in lost food shipments if disruptions continue for two or three weeks, say exporters. Europe is the largest destination for Thai vegetables. The country ships 15 billion baht worth of fruits and vegetables combined to the continent each year. Overall, […]
AUSTRALIA: 65% Of Retailers Say Christmas Trading Worse Than Last Year
24/12/2010 by
The Australian Retailers Association’s (ARA) week-by-week tracking of retail trade during the Christmas period has found that last week over 65% of retailers were trading worse than the same time last year. Retailers comparing trading from 12 to 18 December 2010 to the same time last year said. – Just under a quarter (24%) were […]
Ahold deepens loss to record CZK 1.741bn in ČR last year
24/12/2010 by
Prague, Dec 22 (CTK) – Ahold Czech Republic, which with around 280 supermarkets and hypermarkets Albert ranks among the largest retail chains in the Czech Republic, posted a record loss of Kc1.741bn last year, according to information CTK gained from the report of the company’s general meeting. Last year’s loss was caused mainly by massive […]
Belgian Inflation Accelerates In December
24/12/2010 by
(RTTNews) – Belgian inflation accelerated in December to its highest level since November 2008 after easing to three-month low in November, figures showed Thursday. Inflation rose to 3.1% in December from 2.86% in November, the National Institute of Statistics said. Prices increased for a thirteenth consecutive month. On a monthly basis, prices grew 0.39%. Rate of […]
Pakistani onions being exported despite low volumes
24/12/2010 by
Pakistan is exporting onions despite the fact that its crop lagged 30 to 40 percent behind demand, causing the prices of the commodity to maintain a high level, Geo News reported Wednesday. Talking to Geo News, the traders at Karachi’s vegetable market said onion annual yield is five to six million tonnes in the country; […]
Mixed Reaction from United Fresh as House Passes Food Safety Bill
22/12/2010 by
By a vote of 215 to 144 today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, enacting large-scale changes to the nation’s food safety system. United Fresh Produce Association Senior Vice President of Public Policy Robert Guenther issued the following
Things That Are More Expensive In China Than America: Fruit, Eggs, Milk & Meat
22/12/2010 by
China used to be cheap. According to figures the World Bank uses to calculate Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), in 2003, a dollar’s worth of currency bought nearly five times as much in China as it did the U.S. A bag of groceries, or a hairdo, or a hotel
Ivory Coast crisis causes economic misery
22/12/2010 by
(Reuters) – Prices in Ivory Coast are shooting up, transport is choked by strikes or fears of civil war, and a cocoa industry that is still the life blood of this once affluent West African economy is increasingly in disarray. An election on November 28 was meant to end the debilitating crisis that has plagued […]